§ 3003 Admissibility of duplicates.

If you have a copy of a document instead of the original, you can usually use that copy in court just like it was the real thing. Courts treat copies and originals the same way in most cases, so you don't always need to track down the original paperwork to prove your point.

There are two situations where a copy won't be accepted. First, if someone raises a real doubt about whether the original document is genuine, the copy may not be good enough. Second, if using a copy instead of the original would be unfair to one side in the case, the court can refuse to allow it.

In short, this rule makes it easier to use copies of documents in court, saving people the trouble of always needing the original. But it still protects against situations where copies could be used to hide problems with a document or create an unfair advantage.